InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Live and Let Die (Part 3): Learning To Deal ❯ Lessons Learned ( Chapter 7 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

It is time for Kagome's lesson with Sesshomaru. Later, Kagome and InuYasha spend some quality time together in the afternoon.

Warning: Lemon

Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Hentai / Drama | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 08.14.2006 | Updated On: 10.12.2008 | Pages: 11 | Words: 12.7K | Visits: 6.1K | Status: Work In Progress

Disclaimers: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi. Any original characters do belong to me.

AN: Thank you very much for the reviews left so far! I read each and every one of them, and they inspire me to continue writing.

Live and Let Die: Learning to Deal

Chapter 7: Lessons Learned (Warning: Lemon)

InuYasha and Kagome had returned to find that everyone was back at the hut and that dinner was indeed almost ready. Kagome couldn't help but to blush as she looked at Sango talking quietly with Miroku. Sango saw the young miko looking at her out of the corner of her eye and flushed red herself. Somehow, she suspected that everyone here knew what had happened. She should have known it would not remain a secret traveling with youkai and a hanyou with more than sensitive enough noses to figure things out. The slayer remembered the comment that Shippou had made about Kagome smelling like she had been filled with InuYasha's scent, and she turned a shade of red that matched the color of InuYasha's firerat. No one said anything, so she just sighed and looked at the fire.

Everyone was quiet throughout dinner, and they were ready to retire for the evening fairly early, or at least InuYasha and Kagome were in spite of their afternoon nap. InuYasha had never realized that seriously using his head for something other than a punching bag was really tiring.

They entered the hut, and Kagome was a bit disappointed that InuYasha took his customary place against the wall, Tessaiga in his arms in front of him. Realizing that he would not be comfortable curling up together like they could do in her time in front of the others, she retrieved her sleeping bag and laid it out along the wall next to him. He shifted so that she could lay her head in his lap as she stretched out on top of her bag, pulling a blanket up to cover herself. InuYasha smiled down at his mate as he caressed her cheek with his thumb, lulling her to sleep.

They woke the next morning to the smell of the morning's soup as it cooked over the fire. InuYasha was already awake and was gently stroking his mate's hair as she slept. When Shippou had come in, he had nodded to let him know it was okay to curl up next to his adoptive mother for the night. However, when the kit heard Rin say something about having to sleep alone like she did with Sesshomaru and Jaken, he moved back over to the mat he had been sharing with her. The hanyou also looked over and noticed that the demon slayer and monk were closer together than they normally were. He sighed at the thought of how much things had changed.

But then, he really would not want to go back to the way things were, and he knew that. He had loved the miko, whose head was currently in his lap while she slept, for so long, but could never admit it. It was the second time she had literally unsealed him and saved him: first from tree where he could neither live nor die, and then from the horrible fate he would have met sealed in the cave. Kagome was his life, his love, his savior, and his salvation. He thought of how he felt when Sesshomaru had cast him into that illusion. Even then, he could not hate her. He only felt fear and great sadness at the thought she had chosen another.

All of the sudden, it came to him - how Kagome must have felt all of those times he had left to go to Kikyou. Was that what she felt? Fear at him leaving and sadness because she believed he had chosen another? In reality, at one time, the hanyou had, but only because he didn't think it would be fair to Kagome to ask her to stay with him when he had believed his duty was to Kikyou.

He shook his head to clear it of all of those thoughts. He loved Kagome, and he knew she loved him. The illusion he had suffered through just helped him prove to himself how much he trusted her and loved her. When he had screamed to end it, it had been because he realized that it was not real, not because he had thought that it was. When she had dropped to the ground for the wolf to take her, just as she did for him, suddenly he had known it was all a lie

He did not know how or why, but he knew that she would do that only for him. Resting his hand on her head, he closed his eyes and leaned back to wait for his mate to wake. He knew she needed to be well rested for the task she faced today with his brother.

~ ^~^ ~

Kouga had decided he should wait for the others to catch up before he approached the village. He had stopped about a day away - well, it was a day's journey if they traveled at a normal speed. Unfortunately, he had left his comrades far behind so it was taking them some time to catch back up with him.

Kouga thought it might be a good idea to send the regular wolves ahead to scout out the place before they ran headlong into a strange human village. He didn't want trouble from the occupants; he only wanted to go and let the mutt and Kagome know that Naraku was up to something, even if he was not certain what it was. One thing he was fairly confident of was that with the trouble that Naraku had gone to in order to ensure that both he and Kikyou traveled to the village, sooner or later the vile hanyou would probably turn up there himself. If that happened, he wanted to be ready. The ookami prince still wanted vengeance for the murder of so many of his pack.

~ ^~^ ~

InuYasha was walking with Kagome out to the well to meet his brother after breakfast. He could feel his mate's nervousness and apprehension and reached over to take her hand. As she had done for him, he rubbed her palm with his thumb, trying to help calm her. She looked at him and softly smiled before turning her eyes back towards the path they were following.

As they walked, InuYasha felt the familiar aura brush against his and tap as it had the day before. `Sesshomaru?'

`You were expecting another?' Sesshomaru asked. InuYasha would have sworn he chuckled.

`Feh. I thought you were going to work with Kagome this morning,' InuYasha responded.

`This Sesshomaru is and was going to suggest that you not remain so that you will not be a distraction. Do not be offended that this Sesshomaru asks you to leave us.'

`Keh. I can go and hunt for some fresh meat. We could all use some.'

`Indeed.' And the Taiyoukai was gone from his mind.

Kagome was startled and looked around as she felt a familiar demonic aura surround her, and then feel like it was knocking on hers, as if to let it in. `Se…Sess…Sesshomaru?'

`Yes, Miko. How were you certain that it was this Sesshomaru?'

`I…I recognized your aura as it surrounded me. Then, it felt like you knocked against mine. I don't recall feeling anything like that before.'

`Because you and InuYasha are mated, you each recognize the other with no thought. However, you must be careful with others you allow access. They can use it to injure you by flooding your mind with false images.'

`How was it that I was able to reach Myoujou? I was able to hear her, but do not remember feeling anything like this,' Kagome asked.

`You did not realize it, but you made contact with her first. When you reached out with your aura and brushed against hers, you did it in the same manner this Sesshomaru just used to contact you. Though it was not a strong hit, she is very powerful and felt it. You were fortunate that she was not an enemy.'

`I…I realize that now. But what do I do? How do I know?' the miko questioned.

`You do not have InuYasha's senses, but you have your own miko powers you can reach out with to determine the intent of others. If you feel even the smallest amount of deceit, anger, hatred or the like, do not allow the other into your mind,' the Demon Lord informed her.

`But…but what if…what if I accidentally let someone in that I should not have?'

`Then you must have the strength to close your mind and force them out. If you allow them to take control, you can fall into such despair that you may never escape. It is even possible for them to possess you. You must never allow that to happen. It is almost impossible to regain control if it does,' Sesshomaru said seriously.

`Yes, I don't want to go through that ever again,' Kagome commented, more to herself.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at that. He would ask his brother about it another time.

Kagome looked around her. `Where did InuYasha go?'

`He was going to hunt for fresh meat. This Sesshomaru did not wish for him to be a distraction to you. He should return after he has completed his hunting. This was enough for this morning, you can return to the hut if you wish to see if he is back.'

`Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru. I am a bit tired,' Kagome answered.

InuYasha had taken off into his forest to find something for dinner. He was apprehensive about leaving his mate, but knew that his brother would not harm her. If anything, Sesshomaru should be worried about what Kagome might do if she got angry. He had received only a small demonstration when she projected that barrier and threw the Taiyoukai across the clearing. It wouldn't do for something to happen to make her upset enough to purify him.

It didn't take long before InuYasha found a boar rooting around near the river. He quickly killed it, cleaned, and skinned it before pruning a green branch to run through it as a spit. He took the pig back to Kaede's hut and placed it over the fire to start cooking and then went and hung the skin out to dry. Every skin obtained would be used in the winter for everything imaginable. So even though it was not large, there would be some use for it. With that taken care of, he went back out near the clearing to wait. He would stay far enough away that hopefully Kagome would not notice him, but where he could see Sesshomaru to let him know the coast was clear.

InuYasha was sitting high in a tree as he watched his mate with Sesshomaru. He saw Sesshomaru glance in his direction to acknowledge that he knew he was there, but he did nothing to indicate that InuYasha should leave. Satisfied he was safe here, he settled against the tree to wait.

Kagome walked back towards Kaede's hut, but found no one there, though there was something roasting over the fire. Instead, she walked back in the direction she had just come from. Where could InuYasha be? She checked back at the well, but there was no sign of her hanyou there, so she decided to check the ancient Tree of Ages since he often went there to be alone or just to think. As she got closer, she started to hear voices.

“InuYasha, why did you take my reincarnation as your mate? I thought you loved me?”

“Feh. Sesshomaru told us our souls were already bound together as mates, and that we needed to follow through. If anything happened to the stupid bitch, I would die, too. I'm not ready to die just yet,” she heard InuYasha respond.

Kagome stopped behind a tree that gave her a view of the Goshinboku and the couple underneath. `InuYasha? Why are you here with Kikyou?' she thought to herself.

“Besides, since your soul is her soul, aren't I bound to you, too?” InuYasha said as he leaned close enough to the undead miko to pin her body to the tree with his.

“What do you mean?” Kikyou asked him.

“I mean what if we use the jewel when it is complete to return you to life?” the hanyou responded. “Wouldn't you like that?”

“What about my copy?” the undead miko questioned.

“What about her? Besides, once you are returned to life, wouldn't your whole soul come back to you? And then you would be my mate instead of the stupid, weak, pathetic, whimpering little bitch,” InuYasha chuckled.

At this point tears were running freely down Kagome's face. `Why, InuYasha, why?' However, she couldn't move. It was like she was frozen to this spot. Just like watching a terrible accident - you don't want to look, but you can't help yourself.

As Kagome watched, InuYasha started kissing and nipping at Kikyou's neck and worked his way up to her mouth. Thrusting his tongue greedily into hers, he managed to squeeze one hand between her back and the trunk of the tree to hold her, and cupped her breast with the other. Kikyou leaned into his kiss and wrapped both of her arms around him. InuYasha responded by lowering her to the ground before he ripped her robes open to start running his hands all over her body.

“Kikyou, I want you to be mine. Once the jewel is complete, we'll get you a real body again. Even if you had to take over Kagome's body, that would be okay. She's a good fuck if nothing else. I have to admit, real flesh feels a lot better than your counterfeit body does.”

“What about her family? What would you tell them?” Kikyou asked him.

“Oh, I could put on a good show and all. Tell them how she fought bravely, but got killed by Naraku in the end. I could tell them she died to save us all. That would sound good, wouldn't it?” InuYasha's laugh now sounded almost as evil as Naraku's.

Kikyou sat up and pulled her robes back up. “I have to admit, I would like to have a real flesh and blood body again. I want to be able to feel you when you lay with me. I want you to think only of me. But tell me, what if we die instead? We will go to the depths of Hell together, to burn for all eternity. Is that what you want, InuYasha?”

“I told that old bat Kaede a long time ago I would go to Hell with you if that was what you wanted. Burning in Hell with you would be preferable than a long miserable life with the whining, simpering, vindictive bitch.”

`Hell, you would rather burn in Hell than stay with me? InuYasha!' Kagome cried softly as she sank to the ground.

`Burn, wait a minute - burn.' Kagome felt her shoulder. There was nothing there - no pain of any kind. `InuYasha told me…wait, he told me my mark would burn if he cheated on me. I don't feel anything. This…this…this…THIS isn't REAL!'

“Get out of my head!!” the miko yelled, and the illusion was gone. She found herself sitting in the grass near the well. Reaching up to feel her face, it was wet from her tears. She had cried as though everything she had witnessed was real.

“Good. Now tell me, what did you learn?”

Kagome jumped when she heard Sesshomaru's voice. She had forgotten he was near. Her legs felt so wobbly she couldn't get up. Remaining where she was, she whispered, “How did you know?”

Sesshomaru sat on the ground in front of her. “That does not matter. The fact is this Sesshomaru was able to find out and determine that was probably your greatest fear, making it your greatest weakness. If this Sesshomaru could learn that information, so could your enemies. You do not even seem to fear Naraku as much as you do this.”

Kagome angrily wiped away her tears. “I can't believe I fell for that for a minute. I should have known…”

“Should have known how, Miko? How could you know that it was not real?” Sesshomaru asked.

“InuYasha, he chose me, he told me he wanted me, he said that I was the only one he had ever wanted to take as his mate. He may have become a husband to Kikyou if they had succeeded in their wish to make him human, but they would not have been mates and bonded as we are.”

“Good, you realize that. Now, what else?” the Taiyoukai asked her.

Kagome's eyes opened wide. “I could not feel him! I should have been able to feel his youki. I should have felt Kikyou's aura, too. I didn't pick up anything from either of them.”

“Anything more?”

“My…my…my marks…” Kagome whispered as she reached up and rubbed her shoulder again. “I finally remembered what InuYasha told me, that if one of us cheated on the other, the marks would burn. I remembered when they started talking about burning in Hell together.”

“Miko, it is imperative that you remember everything you learned in this lesson. You do not have InuYasha's senses, so you are going to have to use your knowledge of everything that is real to you. If something does not seem right, it very well may not be genuine. Reach out with your aura any time my brother, another demon, or a spiritual person is involved. You should be able to feel them. And never forget the lesson about your marks. Even if you are the reincarnation of the undead miko, your marks still would have scorched as though you were being branded if that had actually happened,” Sesshomaru advised her.

“You…you did something similar to InuYasha, didn't you?” Kagome asked softly.

“It is the best way this Sesshomaru knows to ensure that you learn and remember. This was your greatest fear, his greatest fear, and you both survived it. You do not seem to fear death as much as you do betrayal and abandonment. Both of you were able to break the illusion before you sank into such a deep despair you would not have been able to escape. Hopefully, you will never come across a demon that can use this against you. However, as you found, it is easier with someone you have allowed entry before, or when you are tired and weakened. But in the end, you closed your mind and ended it.”

“What doesn't kill us makes us stronger,” Kagome said softly.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at her.

“It's a saying from my time. If you survive in spite of everything that is thrown at you, it makes you stronger. Though at the moment, I have to admit I feel very, very, weak,” Kagome said.

Sesshomaru nodded and InuYasha appeared from behind them. He had been anxiously waiting up in the tree to see how Kagome would fare. He could smell her tears, frustration, and exhaustion, and was dying to run to her side and hold her, but he knew Sesshomaru needed to finish what he had to tell her first. Once Sesshomaru gave him the all clear, he ran up to her, and dropped down beside her.

Pulling the miko into his lap and holding her, he asked, “Are you all right, Kagome?”

“I am, now that you're here, mate,” and she promptly fell asleep in his arms.

“How did she do?” InuYasha asked as he looked at her with concern.

“For a human, she is strong. She allowed it to go longer than I thought she would, which makes it harder to break. But eventually, she ended it on her own, and closed her mind to cast me from it. I believe she learned a great deal from it,” his brother answered.

“You…you did something similar to her as you did to me, didn't you?” the hanyou asked.

“Yes, InuYasha. If you can escape the illusion of your darkest fear, then you will have already faced what you are most afraid of and know that you defeated it. This Sesshomaru hopes that you never have to use what you have learned but you must be prepared in case your mind comes under assault. This is another reason not to make it common knowledge that you have this capability. You can use it to keep your enemies off-guard, but not give them an additional method of attack. Fortunately, there are no longer many that have this ability, but those that do are powerful.”

“Like Myoujou?”

“Yes, like that bear. She is much older than this Sesshomaru, and very wise. You were lucky your first encounter was with a youkai such as her. You also earned a powerful ally when you helped her. She was very appreciative of what you did for her,” Sesshomaru informed him.

“Keh, wasn't me, it was Kagome. She hopped on Kirara's back and pulled off all of the sutra that the mad priest had plastered on Myoujou in her sleep. Kagome then walked right up to her and peeled one off of her paw,” InuYasha responded. “So did you see her when you went to let the people from the other village know that they could return home?”

“It was only proper. She is the village's guardian. It would have been rude for this Sesshomaru to go to that village and not speak with Myoujou. It was satisfying to have a conversation with a powerful, ancient youkai like her.”

“Keh,” InuYasha agreed. “Kagome's worn out. She's done a lot the last few days. I should take her back and let her rest.”

“She should recover faster this time. She was mostly drained emotionally from this exercise. Take the afternoon and spend it with her. Do not forget that you still need time with each other,” Sesshomaru said wisely as he rose to his feet.

“Thanks, Sesshomaru,” InuYasha said quietly as he stood, his mate in his arms. “I think we'll do that.”

“Again?” Kaede asked InuYasha as he approached the hut with Kagome asleep in his arms.

“Keh. I told you it was more tiring than you thought. Sesshomaru said to let her rest and take the afternoon off. He suggested that we spend some time together,” InuYasha said as his cheeks pinked.

“Aye. That is a good idea. It appears that you have both accomplished much these last few days since you made a serious effort to practice together before you returned here. Did your brother say anything about tomorrow?”

InuYasha shook his head. “I'll find him and ask him later. Right now I'm going to lay Kagome down. He said she shouldn't take as long to recover this time because she was more emotionally drained than anything else. At least she didn't do anything to throw him across the clearing again, or to purify him. I was worried he might try something that would really make her mad.”

Kaede held the mat that covered the door back for him as he passed through. InuYasha laid Kagome back down on her sleeping bag, which was still where she left it that morning, and rolled up her blanket to place under her head. Satisfied that she was comfortable, he sat down near her.

“Where are all of the others?” he asked Kaede as she sat down across from him.

“Rin wanted to go and check on Jaken and Ah-Un, and the others all walked there with her. Well, Houshi and Sango went because they did not trust sending only Shippou with her. They decided it would be safe to go in that direction since your brother was working with you and Kagome near the well. They should be back before too long. I still have some soup we can have for our midday meal. And I see you brought back a boar to serve for dinner.”

“Keh. Sesshomaru wanted to work with Kagome alone so I wouldn't be a distraction, so I went hunting instead.”

“Thank you, InuYasha. I was ready for a change in meals,” the old miko responded.

“Keh.”

“I will be out in my herb garden if you need anything,” Kaede told him as she climbed back to her feet.

InuYasha watched her go back through the door before he looked down at Kagome. Replacing the blanket with his lap, he rested his hand on her head and settled back to wait for her to awaken.

InuYasha was running and leaping with Kagome on his back. She was screeching in mock fear as he jumped from tree to tree before he hit the ground again. He just grinned. He was spending the afternoon alone with his mate, away from the others. At her suggestion, he was headed to an area that was not too far from the hot spring he had brought her out to before.

As he slowed to a stop, he looked at the wild terrain before him that included a large open meadow, which was both wide and deep, in the middle of the vast forest.

“Is this the place?” he asked Kagome as she hopped down.

“Yes, I think it is,” she responded.

“What's so special about it?” InuYasha wanted to know.

“Well, when I was younger, a field of diamonds was found. No one could ever explain it, not in a way that really made any sense. They finally decided that there must have been volcanic activity or something that forced the diamonds to near the surface here. But after we started talking about the engagement ring I thought, 'what if you had used the Kongousouha here? What if all those diamonds were left over from something we had done in the past? What if those diamonds were the result of you trying to make me an engagement ring?' You can throw them here as many times as you want, and it won't affect the future, because they are supposed to be here!” Kagome told him excitedly.

“Well, let's give it a try, then,” InuYasha replied. Actually, he was itching to do something other than sit and meditate or talk in his head with his brother. He wanted to take his mate to the hot spring and love her thoroughly, but they could do this, first.

InuYasha had transformed Tessaiga. Holding it before him, he concentrated until the blade took on the appearance of being bathed in crystals. “Kongousouha!” he yelled as he swung the blade in front of him, throwing a large arc of diamonds.

“All right!” Kagome exclaimed and started to move forward.

“Not yet!” InuYasha held his arm out to stop her. “We need more to choose from.”

Not wanting to argue with InuYasha when he was trying to do something nice for her, she stepped back.

“Kongousouha!” he shouted again as he launched another attack, throwing the diamonds even further and wider this time.

“Okay, one more,” he stated before using the Kongousouha again. “That should give us enough to find something good.”

Kagome laughed. “No wonder they never could explain this field, or why there are so many diamonds of such unique shapes. Come on; let's find some to take to a jeweler.”

InuYasha and Kagome walked carefully through the now torn-up terrain, for using the diamond spear attack three times had indeed done a lot of damage as predicted.

Kagome was picking up a number of the diamonds that she thought would be pretty and then picked up about as many as she could carry. She figured it wouldn't hurt to take them to her mother. After all, her mom deserved something for the endless supply of Ramen and bandages she bought for them. She would have something special made for her mother and then give her the rest for the shrine and household.

InuYasha was a bit more intense in selecting his diamonds. He had an idea in mind, and his search was more like selecting pieces for a puzzle. After walking through the field for a good part of the afternoon, he finally had what he thought he needed. Wrapping his treasure in a piece of fabric he had grabbed when Kagome told him what she wanted to do for the afternoon, he tucked it carefully into his haori.

“Oi, what have you got there?” he asked his mate, who seemed very pleased with what she had picked up.

“Oh, just some for me and then some to give to Mama. I know she spends a lot on food and bandages for us, and this can pay her back,” Kagome told him.

“Those are worth something in your time?” InuYasha asked.

“They are worth a lot in my time,” she responded as she dropped them into the cloth bag she had brought with her. “Now that that's taken care of, what do you want to do?”

InuYasha growled and pulled her to him, kissing her hungrily. “Guess, wench.”

“Not here! We could get cut up on the diamonds still lying around!”

“Not here. We're pretty close to the hot spring.” InuYasha leaned over so she could climb on his back. Once she was secure, he took off at a run.

As InuYasha ran, he grinned as he worked his calloused finger up under the edge of Kagome's panties and found her little nub. He slipped back just far enough to gather moisture from her rapidly heating slit and used it to start rubbing her. Her mock screams of fear as he ran quickly turned into gasps. Before he knew it, she was panting and rubbing against his hand in rhythm with his stride as his feet hit the ground. If he had been human, she might have strangled him with the hold she now had around his neck as he felt his fingers become soaked when she came into his hand. He continued his gentle torture as they arrived at the hot spring, Kagome still panting and gasping unintelligibly in his ear.

InuYasha finally stopped to let her down, reluctantly removing his hand so Kagome could stand. She surprised him by spinning him around and grabbing for the ties of his hakama, ripping it open and letting it fall to gather around his ankles. She hardly let him step out of it before she had found the ends of his fundoshi and unwrapped it and then spun him like a top to remove the binding fabric, allowing his erection to spring free.

InuYasha had become so hard as he ran his erection was pointing straight up towards his navel. Kagome dropped to her knees in front of him and pulled him into her mouth, sucking noisily as she cupped his testicles in her hand. She wrapped her other hand at the base of his erection and started moving up and down his shaft, applying pressure with her fingers as she stroked him with her tongue.

InuYasha was the one panting now as he looked down to see his mate bobbing back and forth. He reached down and wrapped his hands in her silky mane, and started thrusting in time with her movements. The hanyou closed his eyes and threw his head back as he felt his groin start to coil like a spring.

“Oh, fuck, `gome…I'm not…gonna…oh fuck…” he cried as he spilled into her mouth. “last very long like that…” he finished, panting heavily.

InuYasha opened his eyes and looked down to see his mate with her eyes closed, riding him out as he finished emptying into her mouth. His testicles tingled as she continued to fondle them, and he could now feel her tongue swirling around his shaft.

“`gome,” he whispered as he gently pulled her to her feet. “You didn't have to.”

“I know, but I wanted to,” she replied as she looked up for him to kiss her.

InuYasha wrapped his arms around her and kissed her tenderly before he pulled her close and just held her.

As a cool breeze hit his bare butt, he chuckled.

Kagome looked up. “What's so funny?”

InuYasha looked at her and blushed, then looked down. Kagome giggled. She was fully dressed, and InuYasha had his kimono and haori still on. She had only undressed him from the waist down.

“Should we do something about this?” She asked as she started to remove her clothing.

“Keh,” the hanyou replied as he stripped off the rest of his.

After he placed his hakama, kimono, and the cloth filled with the precious diamonds he had collected into a pile, InuYasha spread his haori out on the ground, and then leaned over to kiss his mate again. This time as he eagerly thrust his tongue into her mouth, he wrapped one arm around her while the other cupped her breast as he lowered her to the ground. While his thumb rubbed her nipple, he ran his tongue around the rim of her ear, and then dipped into it, making her breath catch. He continued his assault down her neck to her shoulders, and then moved back just far enough to roll his tongue over her marks. That action made her arch her back and spread her legs.

After taking a few more swipes at her mark with his tongue, he started a trail of kisses down to the neglected breast. As he continued to knead the other with his hand, he teased the opposing breast with his tongue, just barely trailing the tip around her nipple. He tried not to chuckle at her eagerness when she thrust upwards, forcing him to take the breast into his mouth. The smell of her arousal that was drifting toward him was driving him insane, but he was trying to take his time while they were out here all alone.

It appeared that his mate had other plans, however. Much to the hanyou's surprise, she suddenly pulled out of his mouth. If he hadn't let go, he might have made something bleed with his fangs that he did not intend to as she ripped herself away. At first he thought he had done something wrong, but quickly realized the only thing he had done wrong was not go fast enough for his mate. She had flipped herself over and was waiting not so patiently on her hands and knees, wiggling her rear at him to get moving.

Determined to make it last at least a little longer, InuYasha cupped her thighs just under her cheeks with his hands, and thrust his tongue into her from behind. The result was she dropped her elbows to the ground and rested her head on her forearms before she spread her legs a little wider so he could continue.

He continued to dart at her with his tongue, teasing her, torturing her, until he finally heard the frustrated miko say, “Oh fuck, InuYasha, just put it in already. I need to feel you inside of me.”

The hanyou held back a chuckle at her language as he rose to his knees. He was already quite hard again, so he quickly and completely sheathed himself inside of her.

“Like this?” InuYasha asked her.

She pulled a little away and then slammed back into him, hard. “More like that,” she answered.

InuYasha gripped her hips and started to pound relentlessly into her. She still had her head lowered with her body at an angle so that he could drive deeply into her, though she had risen up enough to keep her face from getting forced into the ground as he thrust.

“Don't…stop…don't…stop…yes̷ 0;yes…yes…yes…YES! InuYashaaaaa!” she screamed as she started to orgasm again as he continued his incessant rhythm.

Once he felt her tight, hot, channel start to vibrate against his, drawing him even further in, he knew he wouldn't last much longer. He slowed down just a little and thrust even harder.

“Oh, fuck…you…feel…so…good…fuck…Kagomeeeeeee e!” he cried with her as he filled her once again.

He continued to thrust into her as he emptied himself into her womb, though the strokes were now slower and more tender. He leaned over her, covering her with his body and begin that low growl that reverberated throughout her body. She shifted so that she was flat on the ground, with her lover on top of her. He kissed her neck and shoulder as they lay together, softly panting.

InuYasha finally rolled off of his mate when he had slipped out of her. Rolling on his side next to her, he helped her roll over on her back so he could look at her. His head propped up on his hand, while his other hand rubbed her belly, he leaned over and gently kissed her.

Kagome reached up and cupped InuYasha's face, and stroked his cheek with her thumb. “Thank you, I needed that,” she whispered.

“What is it, Kagome?” InuYasha asked lovingly.

“It's just…just after working with your brother today, I needed that.”

“The illusion,” the hanyou stated.

“Yeah.”

InuYasha leaned over and softly kissed her again. “Me too.”

“In your illusion, he showed you me…” she asked quietly.

The hanyou only nodded in reply.

“and…?” she prodded.

InuYasha took a deep breath before he answered. “Kouga.”

Kagome continued to rub his cheek with her thumb. “And you knew it wasn't real?”

“Yeah, I figured it out.”

“Is that when Sesshomaru told you about our marks?”

Once again, InuYasha only nodded his answer.

“And you made sure I knew in case he tried something similar to me.”

“Yeah,” the hanyou responded.

“InuYasha?”

“Yeah?”

“How did you know? I mean…How did you know it wasn't real? It seemed so real…” she trailed off.

“When you…and he…I just knew…I knew you wouldn't do that for anyone but me,” he whispered.

“Thank you,” Kagome whispered.

“For what?” the hanyou sounded confused.

“For loving me, and having faith in me,” she replied.

“Kagome?”

“Yeah?” She could hear the hesitation in his voice and feel his apprehension.

“Well…what…what…” but he couldn't finish his question.

“What did I see in my illusion?” Kagome asked softly, still reassuring him by rubbing his cheek.

“Ye…I guess…well…yeah,” he finally uttered.

Kagome let out a deep sigh. “Kikyou.”

Kagome was startled when he suddenly leaned over her and kissed her over and over again. Her cheeks, her lips, her nose, her chin, her forehead, until she finally reached up with both hands to cup his face and hold him still.

“InuYasha?”

“I'm so sorry, Kagome.”

“Why? It wasn't real. I survived it and broke free,” she said with confusion.

“No…no…not for that…” he choked.

“What is it? InuYasha?” she asked very gently, trying to coax him to telling her why he was suddenly so upset.

“It…it…it's just…it's just when…it's just when he showed me…he showed me you with that…that…wolf…I felt hurt…I felt afraid…I suddenly realized that must be…that must be…that must be how you felt…”

“How I felt when?” she asked, though she thought she understood now where he was going with this.

“All of those times…all of those times…I…I…I didn't realize…how much it must have hurt…” he stammered.

“InuYasha, it's all right. I knew you had loved her. It was why I could never ask you to choose. But you finally did choose, and you chose me. I've loved you for so long. It was all I've ever wanted, but I never really understood how you felt about me. Now I know, I understand, that while you loved her, you love me. She will always have a place in your heart-”

“But Kagome,” the hanyou interrupted.

Kagome gently placed her finger over his lips. “Shhh, let me finish. She will always have a place in your heart. She was your first love, after all. It's okay, InuYasha. Your heart is human, it is what allowed you to love her and allows you to now love me. I can't ask you to completely forget the woman that opened your heart enough to feel love for another. But I am the one you chose to be your mate. You told me that I was the only one you had ever wanted to be your mate, and I believe you. So yes, it did hurt when you went to her in the past. But what is done, is done. I will not hold it against you because it is in the past. I always forgave you InuYasha, because I understood your confusion and torment. Well, not totally, but I tried to. Now, now you need to forgive yourself. I love you and no other. I forgave you long ago. It is time for you to do the same.”

“Kagome…” he whispered as he wiped away a tear that was trailing down her cheek.

Kagome pulled his face to hers and kissed him. “Make love to me.”

“I do love you, Kagome,” he choked out before he started kissing her all over.

“I know,” she said softly as she allowed her hands to roam over his body.

They made love more tenderly this time, taking their time exploring each other's bodies as the sun slowly drifted towards the horizon. They each felt the want, the need of the other as they rolled around in the grass near the hot spring, the haori pushed aside in the shuffle. Finally, exhausted, completely satiated, InuYasha rolled the miko on top of his body and held her there tightly. She snuggled against him, throwing her arms up so that one rested on his shoulder and the other wrapped around the top of his head. She was gently rubbing one ear as they drifted off to sleep together.

To be continued…